Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-11-03

inSplr4HOn through lno htpio o""''
uary The singer above knew
tho voice. The organ died into silence
with wall Of discorls, and there was
heard the sound OF U man lcaping head
long down the stairway.
He reached the aisle, and with one
swift gidhco comprehendcd all. "Why
are you hercp" he painted, hoarscly.
Speak, and quickly, in Gods namc!"
"foa Elk me thatp' said the woman,
smiling Upon him with very heaven
of tenderness, all her beauty en-
HANGED by the CLEAN of her great
eyes in the twilight; ~ am here be-
cause-why should l not tell 1t here.
before your friends and mincp-bc-
cause l love YOU"
Needless, forgctful, conscious only
of the knowledge he year ago would
have bartered an eternity to gain. he
sprang forward and clasped her wildly
in his arms.
AS they all left the church together
none Of them observed the girl stand
ing mute and white in the great pew
but little more than an arms reach
away. Long after the door had
changed behind them she stood so, gaz-
ing forward into vacancy with fearless
eyes.
Forget me-" he wrote. "She was
more to me than / knew. i have
wrongcd you bittcrly-too bitterly to
ask or hope for forgiveness. But l
could not stay and let my whole life
with you be lica She can do with me
what she will, and yield. God knows
l wish you happiness. Goodbye"
No wretch Of tho galleys was ever
more securely shacklcd than he. Did
he regret itp He could not tell, but
though every day she babe him go if
he so chose, ho did not. And here, to-
night. ut his own table. amidst his own
friends, she was jibing ut him on a SUBJ
ject he had begged of her, as she val
ucd his peace, to let rest.
1t was after the opeia where they
had both tasted anew of the triumph
that seemed all the swceter by reason
of the charms its comparative nov
city had lent to it.. And they
were all here ut his house.
gay, witty Bohcmians, every one of
them, presenting company of which
every second mciabcr was the possess
or of genius in some guisc or other.
Tragcdians, singers, q poet or two and
trip of scholarly critics from the
gsr daily newspapers worc there.
ms bAl wcre listening withvast appye-
!, sl,ito tho raillery Of the brilliant
l'un the queen Of prima donnas,
viz sfar the foot OF the table.
"AEriAge.m laughed she. gaily, in
reply to tho fest Of an elderly Journal
list, "bais my dear Victor. Marriage is
a specter. m ogre, that sensible poo
lc'avoid rs mariners do the reef upon
which the lighthouse stands. Marriage
is the Gate of Tears of the Ocean of
Genius. In marriage, what have you?
For an hour intoxication, kisscs-yes,
happiness, If you will. And afterwards
mutual disappointment, disenchant-
ment aud misery. tempered by the
consolation in some cases, perhaps,
that one might have done even worse
if given time. Marriage is the true
artists bottomlcss pit, which she
should prefer to walk fifty miles round
rather than attempt to jump over. As
for romance, have you not it in the
adorcr whom you keep in satisfactory
and intcrminablo condition of Jacob
like scrvitude for that which he may or
may not obtain-as / keep Guy, there?
"Poor Guy"-hcedlcss of the passion
rising in his pale, tired facc--"now
marriage might have suited him. He
played me false. the rascal. Flew away,
like liberated canary, and built him
nest in little hole of n village in the
New Hampshire hills, where he had re-
duced the people to condition of tear
ing their hair out by the roots out of
worship for his singing. He can sing,
YOU know-a little. And worse than
that. too. His nest was too capacious
for solitude. it seems. The rogue act
ually contemplated matrimony-hc. OF
all men! In y week. caught
him just in timc-he was to
have welded veritablc little
maid of the hills-a whitc-faced little
woman with two cherries for mouth
and eyes that you couldn't look into
without feeling just how hopeless n
sinner you were. Ireally do believe
that for once Guy was in earnest, but
il She"
He arose from the table, white rs
death. "Silcncc!' he Numbered.
UEron chic bour I renotlnce-o